'Isabella's Garden' by Glenda Millard

Children's book reviews

April 26, 2012

'Isabella's Garden'

By Glenda Millard, illustrated by Rebecca Cool

Candlewick, $16.99, ages 5-9

Remember "The House That Jack Built"? Beginning with "the soil/ all dark and deep/ in Isabella's garden," the book stays in that space not only through the expected planting to plant cycle (buttercups), but also through the end of the growing season and through winter ("despite what the mantis begged of the moon,/ winter comes swiftly and silent and soon.") and on to the next growing season. So the expected rhythm of the words matches well the roundness of the naturally growing world, and the less expected rhymes (like "appled" and "dappled" and "wind" and "velvety skinned") draw our attention further. Rebecca Cool's bright polychromed pictures of children and plants rev up gardening enthusiasm.